Handbag with changeable covers



Feb. 15, 1966 J. s. GILBERT HANDBAG WITH CHANGEABLE COVERS Filed Deo. 1l, 1963 D@m T N E V m United States Patent Ofi ice l 3,234,985 Patented Feb. 15, 1966 3,234,985 HANDBAG WITH CHANGEABLE COVERS John Stephen Gilbert, 330 W. 86th St., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 11, 1963, ser. No. 329,717 2 Claims. (Cl. 150-29) This invention relates to handbags in general and in particular to a handbag provided with means for changing and replacing the outside cover of the bag without the use of tools of any kind.

As is well known, most women consider their handbags as a necessary matching part of their outfits; they usually have different bags to match different clothing outfits. With this invention, the same handbag may be used and made to match any desired outfit by merely having a cover matching the outfit, readily removable and replaceable on the handbag, thus eliminating the necessity for changing the contents of the handbag from one bag to another and enabling a matching cover for the outfit to be readily placed in position on the handbag.

An important object of this invention is to provide a handbag employing a choice of readily removable and replaceable wrap around covers therefor with means for latching the free end of the covers to the frame of the handbag.

This and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawing comprising the specification of the invention.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a handbag incorporating the invention,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view, partly in crosssection taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 2a is an exploded view of the securing inserts used on a single side of the handbag frame,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a cross-sectional detail shown in FIGURE 2, showing the cover being attached,

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of a handbag showing the assembly partly completed,

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing a flap being tucked in and FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing a modified construction detail.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the handbag assembled according to the invention comprises a frame 12 formed by top frame channels 14 and side channels 39 and provided with hinge elements 16 and clasps 18. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame channels are of substantially U-shaped cross-section and are formed with lips 22, the lips forming openings to the channels somewhat narrower than the channels themselves.

Integrally secured to the top channels 14 and side channels 39 are clamps 24 formed with lips 26. Clamps 24 are of a width dirnensioned to receive the edge portion of the handbags inner lining 28, stiffening panel 30 and a decorative outer lining or fabric cover 32 extending past the side channels 39, and glued to the stiffening panel. These edge portions are permanently secured in clamps 24 by crimping the clamp lips 26 and, if desired, by gluing. Secured by stitching 42, to the stiffening panel 30 and fabric cover 32, along the top frame channels 14 and part way of the side channels 39, as clearly shown in FIG. 2a, are resilient inserts 34 of cylindrical cross-section 38 provided with flanges 40. While flanges 40 may be attached to the stilfening material and outer lining by stitching other appropriate means may likewise be employed. The inserts may advantageously be made of rubber or resilient plastic material. The flanges 40 may, if desired, be secured to the outer lining by an adhesive.

A number of rectangular pieces of fabric differing in color and pattern are provided as a choice of outer decorative covers for the handbag. These pieces are slightly wider than the periphery of the bag and longer than the latters frame.

There are additionally secured to the lower portions of side channels 39, in the same manner as described above, resilient inserts 68a for a purpose hereinafter to be described.

FIG. 2a illustrates the top and side inserts used in the inventive construction.

To secure the desired outer decorative cover 50 to the handbag frame the top edges of the cover are formed into folds 52 about the inserts 38, as shown in enlarged detail in FIG. 3, so that the edges 54 of the outer cover are positioned between outer lining 32 and flange 40 of the inserts 38. The inserts 38 with the overlying folds 52 thereon are forced into the channels 20 in the direction of the arrow, as shown in FIG. 3, while the decorative cover 50 is drawn snugly about the lining 32. Only slight pressure is required for this purpose, due to the resiliency of the inserts, which securely hold the outer decorative cover 50 after emplacement, in channels 20.

As previously noted the resilient inserts 38 extend partly along the. side channels 39 of the frame. The remaining portions of the upper edges of the decorative cover 50 are attached to the upper portions of the side channels in the same manner, as shown in FIG. 5.

The short inserts 68a, each consisting of a cylindrical section 38a and flange 40a are secured to the bottom portions of the sides of the stiffening panel 30 and the lining 32 by stitching or adhesive, are next covered with folds made of the extending side edges of the outer decorative cover 50 and are forced with this cover into the lower portions of the side channels 39 of the frame, as shown in FIG. 5, thus forming attractive projecting wings 56, as shown in FIG. 4. The extending side edges of the decorative material 50 lend themselves to folding, because they are not supported by stiffening material.

A modified construction of the invention is shown in part in FIG. 6. In this modification there is additionally provided a fabric liner 62, formed with an end pocket 64 snugly enclosing a resilient insert of cylindrical cross-section 68 for the channel 20 of the frame and secured thereto by means of stitching 66, and a resilient insert similarly secured, for the side channel of the frame (not shown).

The outer fabric is designated by the numeral 60.

There has thus been provided, by the present invention, a handbag with changeable covers which can be easily removed and replaced without resorting to tools of any kind, and which is simple in construction and lends itself to mass production at a reasonable cost.

It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but that various modifications of the details of construction, sizes and shapes are envisioned herein, without departing from the purpose or scope of said invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a handbag adapted for use with changeable decorative covers, a frame comprising a pair of U-shaped frame channels, hinge elements pivotally securing said U-shaped channels to one another, clamps extending along said channels and integral therewith, an inner lining permanently secured to said clamps, stiffener panels secured to said clamps outwardly of said inner lining, a fabric cover secured to said clamps outwardly of said stiffener panels, first displaceable resilient securing insert means attached to part of the edges of said fabric cover and said stiffener panels, a decorative cover having a part of its edge portions folded over said first resilient securing insert means, second displaceable resilient insert means for securing another part of the edge portions of said decorative cover to said U-shaped frame, all said securing insert means being removably received in said channels.

2. In a handbag adapted for use with changeable decorative covers, a frame comprising a pair of U-shaped frame channels, each having a horizontal portion and downwardly extending portions, hinge elements pivotally securing said U-shaped channels to one another, clamps extending along said channels and integral therewith, an inner lining permanently secured to said clamps, stifener panels secured to said clamps outwardly of said inner lining, an outer lining secured to said clamps outwardly of said stifener panels, rst displaceable resilient securing insert means attached to the edges of said outer lining and said stit'ener panels and extending along a respective horizontal portion of said channels and part way along said downwardly extending portions, a decorative cover having top and upper side edge portions folded over said rst resilient securing insert means, said decorative cover having lower side portions, second displaceable resilient insert means for securing said lower side portions of said decorative cover to said downwardly extending portions of said U-shaped frame, all said securing insert means being removably received in said channels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,316,919 9/1919 Normandy 150-5 2,036,608 4/1936 Rosenberg 15G-28.1 2,649,939 8/1953 Donald et al. 190-41.3 2,694,427 11/ 1954 Hovis 15G-28.1 2,887,138 5/1959 Solomon 150--28 FOREIGN PATENTS 986,048 3/1951 France.

659,230 10/ 1951 Grat Britain.

470,910 4/1952 Italy.

277,889 6/ 1952 Switzerland.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, JOSEPH R. LECLAIR,

Examiners. M. L. MINSK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A HANDBAG ADAPTED FOR USE WITH CHANGEABLE DECORATIVE COVERS, A FRAME COMPRISING A PAIR OF U-SHAPED FRAME CHANNELS, HINGE ELEMENTS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID U-SHAPED CHANNELS TO ONE ANOTHER, CLAMPS EXTENDING ALONG SAID CHANNELS AND INTEGRAL THEREWITH, AN INNER LINING PERMANENTLY SECURED TO SAID CLAMPS, STIFFENER PANELS SECURED TO SAID CLAMPS OUTWARDLY OF SAID INNER LINING, A FABRIC COVER SECURED TO SAID CLAMPS OUTWARDLY OF SAID STIFFENER PANELS, FIRST DISPLACEABLE RESILIENT SECURING INSERT MEANS ATTACHED TO PART OF THE EDGES OF SAID FABRIC COVER AND SAID STIFFENER TO PART OF THE EDGE OF SAID FABRIC COVER AND SAID EDGE PORTIONS FOLDED OVER SAID FIRST RESILIENT SECURING INSERT MEANS, SECOND DISPLACEABLE RESILIENT INSERT MEANS FOR SECURING ANOTHER PART OF THE EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID DECORATIVE COVER TO SAID U-SHAPED FRAME, ALL SAID SECURING INSERT MEANS BEING REMOVABLY RECEIVED IN SAID CHANNELS. 